"I’ve always loved dogs and grew up with a rehabilitated stray. So when I moved into a large home with a fenced-in yard I knew it was time to consider fostering. This would allow me to continue traveling and get my dog fix. Enter ALIVE.

I started volunteering with ALIVE about a year ago. I eased in by signing up for being a handler at events, which is an amazing way to hang out with some great dogs at venues I wouldn’t normally go to. I always knew I wanted to foster through ALIVE so completed the foster application shortly after I did my volunteer orientation.

I’ve always felt like ALIVE had great programming and was confident in fostering because ALIVE’s foster coordinators are diligent and wouldn’t let me get into anything I couldn’t handle. Fast forward to eight months ago when I got matched with my first foster, Root Beer.

Root Beer is considered an “introvert for life” and needs to be the only dog in the home. She takes medication twice daily and is dog aggressive (she will react just by seeing another dog). However, none of these adversities keep her from being anything short of an angel and none of these things are overwhelming as a caretaker.

In the time we’ve had Root Beer, she’s learned to let some of her anxieties go. Now she can redirect her reactions to other dogs on her squeaky tennis balls and together we’ve figured out some games to play.

I used to keep diligent notes from when we first brought Root Beer into our home, and reflecting back it’s amazing to see the milestones that sometimes would take us days to reach. She licked my partners hand, she let us give her tummy rubs and she picked up a ball in her mouth. Fast forward to today, and Root Beer will paw at our calves if we’re not giving her enough attention, will run down two flights of stairs all on her own to fetch a ball and will take her medicine (with cream cheese, of course) without a single issue.

Fostering has, hands down, been one of the best experiences of my life and bringing Root Beer into our home has encouraged me to spend more time at the adoption center helping the dogs who are waiting to find their own foster or forever home."